November 26, 2014—Climate Change

November 26, 2014—Climate Change

In our efforts to foster an open, non-partisan debate on the crucial issues of the day, the Senate Liberal Caucus once again opened our doors. This discussion is not only open to all parliamentarians, but also to all Canadians, who are welcome to attend in person or follow along and contribute via social media.

A recent report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) indicated that it is a 95% certainty that climate change is driven by human behavior. Carbon emissions from the burning of fossil fuels results in a warmer climate, more acidic oceans, extreme weather, melting ice caps and a host of other issues. Recent events show that the world is beginning to grasp the scale of the problem. On November 11th, the US and China, who combine to account for nearly half of the world’s carbon emissions, agreed to targeted cuts of these emissions. While not a binding treaty, it is not overly optimistic to believe that this agreement is the beginning of a more serious global effort to cut back on our reliance on fossil fuels.

As a one of the most developed and educated countries in the world, Canada has a responsibility to help mitigate the damage caused by carbon emissions. That Canada is an oil exporting country does not absolve us from taking steps to ensure a strong and sustainable future. For this reason, we have invited some of the most informed voices in this discussion to our Open Caucus. They have been generous enough to donate their time to discuss just what is needed to guarantee a more sustainable future for Canadians.